A Letter To: Singles on Valentine’s Day

Meha Razdan

9 months ago

Dear Singles,

Valentine’s Day is upon us all, and so is everything that comes with it. You may be the type of person who’ll be secure in the knowledge that you’re a whole and rounded individual, not defined by your relationship status, or you may be the type of person who’ll languish in the fear that you’re fundamentally unlovable and doomed to be alone forever. Whichever it is, I’m here to tell you that you should re-evaluate your attitude to V-Day, because it is, in fact, a holiday for you.

Hear me out. You may not have anyone to be getting cosy with, but I’m sure you have someone to love in your life: your family, your friends, that person you made eye contact with more than twice in the Rad Cam. Whoever it is, good for you. Love makes the world go round. All of them (except the real snakes) will love you whatever the day.

Besides, we all know at least a few couples who will not be spending this holiday together again next year. So, rest safe in the knowledge that whilst for many, 14 February is a day designated to desperately fan the dying embers of their relationship into a few sputtering flames, for you, it’s just another day on which you are loved by your parents if no one else.

Moreover, let’s not neglect the fact that however unloved and alone you may feel, to be single on Valentine’s Day is a wise financial decision. You remove yourself from an entire market that could be exploited by the cold cash-grabbing claws of the corporations that run the capitalist cogs of our society. Sure, it’s nice to show someone you love that you appreciate them by buying them thoughtful gifts to show how much they mean to you. But, you know what else is nice? Pouncing on all the discounted chocolates on 15 February and consuming them by yourself, smug in the knowledge that you don’t have to split your spoils with anyone.

And finally, let’s face it, a day designed to celebrate romance and courtship is only going to inspire resentment in the bitter masses. People always root for the underdogs, and come Valentine’s, that is a position that you firmly occupy. An onslaught of BuzzFeed articles filled with ‘15 Reasons Being Single is The Best’ are headed your way, a litany of affirmations about how Valentine’s Day doesn’t really matter so don’t feel bad.

Come next year, some of you will have been snapped up by the ever-hungry jaws of romantic bliss, and some of you will be as single, solitary, or alone as you are right now. Whatever happens, your singledom is as uncertain and possibly ephemeral as most people’s relationships, and whether you resent it or revel in it, never forget that this is your day to celebrate.